


Back Against The Wall

by leurauxe



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Dorm Neighbours, Eventual Smut, Falling In Love, Friends With Benefits, I will tag as I update, Jealousy, Light Angst, M/M, Swearing, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-08-19 17:15:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8218609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leurauxe/pseuds/leurauxe
Summary: Iwaizumi had one simple college goal: study hard, finish his degree and get the hell out of there, no strings attached.After a bizarre semi-one night stand encounter, he finds his perfect plan tossed out the window by his dorm neighbour from hell.





	1. Neighbours

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ofmeldingdays](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=ofmeldingdays).



> I've always wanted to try a College AU fic (ever since Mirai introduced the idea to me, so I wanted to gift this work to her!)  
> This fic is quite different to my other works so I hope you'll enjoy it
> 
> Based off a [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q31tGyBJhRY)
> 
> NOTE: this fic will contain smut in later chapters

As a child, his mother once told him the key to success was through hard work and determination.

 

"Nothing worth having comes easy, Hajime," she said as they relaxed in the backyard, Iwaizumi sprawled across the grass with his head in her lap. She ran her delicate fingers through his coarse, choppy hair as she gazed down at him with tender motherly affection. "Remember to work hard for your desires. Whatever your goals may be, Heaven is your limit."

The advice was simple but it awakened his mind. From that day onward, Iwaizumi had promised himself to abide by her wise words.

Which was exactly why years later, he'd made the decision of moving four hours away to study at an urban college.  
Leaving the hometown had been a daunting experience but now in his second year at the AobaJousai Institute, he was slowly growing accustomed to the new environment.

Iwaizumi enjoyed college. He had decent grades, became friendly with his lecturers (well, most of them. But he was still working on it), and had only missed one class so far this year. He was what others would classify a ‘golden student’.

And quite frankly, he wanted to keep it that way.

He’d heard of all sorts of stories where people moved out of home and in to the dorm life; only to cruise through their classes, prioritise parties over exam-prepping, and scrape through their degree at a bare minimum. That sort of crowd had never been his forte.

It’s not that he had no interest in the social life of college. In fact, he’d become rather excited to meet new people outside the bubble of his hometown. It’s just college was not what he’s expected it to be. People here were different. More judgemental, he felt.

And admittedly, it was times like this he missed home the most. He missed his family, the familiarity of his hometown, and most of all, the intimacy of having someone to talk to.

But hey, the purpose of college is to learn, receive a degree for your hard efforts, then move on to better things. So his life wasn’t exactly glamorous, but as far as he could see, he was moving along quite nicely. His plans of succeeding through college were set and ready to be achieved.

That was, until it was completely tipped around by the 'bastard from hell' next door.

 

✌

 

It was warm.

Iwaizumi stirred, still drowsy with sleep. There was an unbearable throbbing at his temple and he let out a croaky groan. It felt as though someone had repeatedly smashed a boulder over his head and he dug his fingers in to the back of his skull in a futile attempt to lessen the pain. His mouth tasted absolutely vile, tongue furry and dry. Nausea twisted his stomach and he fought back a wretch. This had to be byfar one of the _worst_ hangovers to have ever graced mankind.

Iwaizumi shifted in his bed, the thick blankets suffocating on his skin. His body was sticky with sweat and he grimaced. Christ, it was _boiling_. He was a hot sleeper and linen sheets were the only ones which helped bleed off the excess heat. But today, the mugginess was almost overwhelming.

The mattress was awfully lumpy too. Iwaizumi shifted around and tried to find a more comfortable position, still clinging to his sleep. _The pillow…_ He smacked it with roughly and reality intruded just a little further. A funny smell. _Is that.. coconut?_ Iwaizumi pried one eye open. Then the other.

At first he couldn’t understand what was in front of him. The wall was the same – it was still its usual off-cream colour. The only difference was where his usual Radiohead and Nirvana posters were slabbed, it was instead adorned with a clutter of galaxy maps and a framed Japan volley jersey.

Iwaizumi blinked sluggishly. _This isn’t my room._

His head felt too thick, memories of last night fuzzy. He was trying to process everything going on but his head refused to comply. He felt a bead of sweat beginning to form at his temple and he grimaced. It was too damn hot. He began to wriggle to escape the stuffy heat. Then he froze.

Iwaizumi kept still, his lagging mind taking awhile to register. Then he slowly reached down, fingertips carefully hovering down _...  
_

There was a hand on his hip.

Iwaizumi immediately retracted. He was wide awake in a heartbeat. That most definitely was _not_ his. He suddenly became hyper aware of the warm, heavy weight resting behind him.

_Oh Jesus Christ. Oh god, oh god no-_

His mind was screaming as he lay there in utter silence. What the hell happened last night?! The pounding hangover headache and blurry memory were a dreadful warning which told him it wasn’t something he wanted to know.

Iwaizumi tensed at the sudden light snuffle from behind. His eyes darted about in panic, body as rigid as a plank of wood. The snuffle soon melted to a content sigh as the arm looped over his hip curled in, now latching on to his belly.

He had to be dreaming. There was no way this was real. Iwaizumi was just not that type of guy. He did _not_ do one night stands. At all.

In a situation like this, there was only one logical thing to do.

Iwaizumi quietly reached over and grabbed a fistful of the blanket and pulled it back. The rustle of the blanket was deafening in the still morning and he felt himself begin to sweat more heavily. The cool air swept over his hot skin and he inwardly let out a groan of relief. His appreciation died down when he noticed he was cladded in nothing but his navy blue boxers. _Oh Jesus._ Iwaizumi glanced around, panicked again. Where the hell were his clothes?!

At this stage it didn’t even matter. He needed to ‘walk of shame’ the hell outta here before his mystery one night stand woke up.

Iwaizumi slithered his hand down to his waist, hesitating, then wrapped his hand around the other’s wrist. He gently lifted it and began to wiggle his way free. There are a light huff behind him and he immediately froze.

Iwaizumi waited for several moments, heart racing. He bit his lower lip and snuck a quick glance over his shoulder. He spotted a messy mop of caramel-brown hair peeking out from under the blanket. Iwaizumi cringed at the sight.

Carefully, he placed the hand back down on the mattress and slid himself out of the bed. His hangover-stricken body groaned in protest and he was hit with a sudden throbbing pain through his skull. Iwaizumi winced, latching on to his head. _Suck it up,_ his mind scorned. _Just get the hell out of here._

He swallowed thickly, and as quietly as he could, began to tiptoe his way toward the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Iwaizumi froze, foot mid-air. He shut his eyes briefly, inwardly cursing before he turned around.

He didn’t know what he was expecting, but seeing the other’s face caught him completely off-guard. The guy looked to be roughly his age, unusually handsome with round toffee-brown eyes and a slim face. His hair was a rumpled mess, lids low and gaze-sleepy.

He didn’t seem startled in the least, head poked out of the thick blanket nest as he watched him. He rubbed his eyes before regarding him with a raised brow. “I’d hope you were only leaving to get me breakfast?”

Iwaizumi swallowed. He coughed lightly, his throat was so dry he thought it would crack. “ _U-um_ ,” he managed. God, he sounded like he swallowed a tonne of gravel.

The other stared him down with apathetic eyes. Suddenly, he let out a small huff of amusement. With great effort, he struggled his way to sit upright and ran a hand through his unruly hair. He tilted his head lightly to the side, shooting him a coy smile. “I had _a lot_ of fun last night,” he drawled and Iwaizumi kind of wanted to curl up and cry.

“Uh.. yeah.” Iwaizumi rubbed the back of his head. He had never felt more uncomfortable in his entire life. “It was.. yeah.”

“You’re quite the wild one when you drink.”

 _Oh Jesus._ Iwaizumi contemplated whether or not to just knock the other out cold and make a run for it. “T-that’s.. good to know.”

The guy stared for a painstakingly long time, an awful smug smile plastered on his face. He jerked his chin over. “What’s your dorm number?” he asked suddenly.

Iwaizumi visibly blanched. “Why?”

Mystery Guy simply shrugged. “Just tell me what it is.”

“… 402.”

“Ahh.” he nodded lightly. “I thought so.”

Iwaizumi’s brows twitched together. “You thought so..?”  
He startled when the other suddenly whipped his blankets off and jumped out of bed. He was wearing nothing but a pair of white briefs speckled with alarmingly flashy red polka dots. Iwaizumi immediately looked away, mortified.

Mystery Guy seemed unabashed. He padded past him, yawning lightly as he opened the bedroom door. “Follow me,” he instructed.

Feeling alittle reluctant, Iwaizumi dawdled after the other. He came to a sudden halt when the man swung open his front door leading to the dorm corridor. “ _W-what the hell!”_ Iwaizumi immediately jumped back, hands scrabbling to cover his crotch. “Christ, there’s people out there!”

The man snorted, sending him a disdainful look. “Relax, there’s no one out here. Come on.”

 _Lunatic._ Iwaizumi hesitated, before he trotted over, hands still over his front. He glanced over to where the other was pointing.

**[401]**

  
Iwaizumi stared blankly at the sign. He looked over at the other. Mystery Guy grinned, brows raised. “Sup neighbour.” He twiddled his fingers daintily.

Iwaizumi couldn’t stop staring. “Um.”

The other spun on his heels, strolling back in to his dorm. Iwaizumi glanced down the empty hallway before he quickly joined, shutting the door behind.

“I admit, it was my fault for not locking my door.” Mystery Guy shrugged. “I’m not accustomed to people barging in to my room s’all.”

The fragments of blurred memories were beginning to reconnect in Iwaizumi's hazy mind, piecing together in a wonky sequence of events. _Last night.. Party down at the Nekoma house..._ He distinctly recalled Kuroo dragging him down there for one of his infamous ‘frat boy wild nights’. And normally he refused to go to things like that, but almost everybody went and he'd figured one time wouldn't hurt.  
He could now confirm the party definitely lived up to its rumours. _All those shots.._

Across from him, Mystery Guy sent him a knowing look. Iwaizumi let out a forced laugh. This could not get any more awkward. “Hey, we didn’t..” he said slowly. He gestured between them lightly, feeling his face warm. He couldn’t think of a polite way to phrase it. “You know..”

“We didn’t..? Didn’t what? _Fuck?”_ Mystery Guy asked with a casualness that make Iwaizumi choke. He raised a brow. “I don’t know, you tell me. Do I look like I’ve been fucked?”

Iwaizumi swallowed thickly as he glanced to the right, then back. “Uhh.. was that.. a rhetorical question..?"

The other smiled, clearly enjoying watching him squirm. He lightly scratched his chest. “You know, you didn’t even ask for my name. Quite literally just barged in to my room and jumped me in my own bed.”

“ _Oh Jesus._ ” Iwaizumi dropped his face in to his palm. “Fuck, I’m so sorry, I swear I didn’t mean-“

“Relax dude, you didn’t get in my pants.” Mystery Guy waved him off. He curled in to a lumpy-looking armchair and stretched his arms back like a cat. “You scared the living shit out of me though. I thought you came in to mug me.”  
He glanced over at the bedroom then pointedly back at him. “But turns out you were just a bumbling drunk.”

Iwaizumi felt his face redden further. “U-uh, sorry about that,” he coughed. He lightly scratched the back of his head. “I didn’t mean to.. attack you in your bed.”

He noticed the way the other’s gaze began to drop and linger on his body. Iwaizumi immediately dropped his hand and crossed his arms over his chest. “Hopefully I didn’t, um..” he glanced around awkwardly. “Break anything, right?”

Oikawa’s eyes widened. He tilted his head back and let out a rather unflattering snort of laughter. “Other than stumble in to my bedroom and spout your entire life story to me? No, you did not.”

Iwaizumi wanted to die. “Like I said, I’m sorry about that,” he answered gruffly.

“Forget it, shit happens.” Oikawa waved him off. “It was pretty funny.”  
He nodded over at him. “What’s your name?” he asked.

That should’ve been the initial warning. Something went off in his mind, urging Iwaizumi he shouldn’t say. But he _did_ crash this guy’s place and it was the least he could do. “Iwaizumi,” he answered. “Iwaizumi Hajime. You?”

The guy grinned lazily. “Oikawa. Oikawa Tooru.”  
He raised a hand briefly before it flopped back down.

“Cool. That’s uh, cool.” Iwaizumi glanced around at the small dorm. He only just noticed how awfully clustered and messy the place was: scattered piles of unwashed clothes, random dirty dishes left all over the place, even an old pizza box balancing on top of a small portable TV, abandoned there for god knows how long.

“Your clothes are over there,” Oikawa interrupted. He pointed at a small crumpled mess tucked in the corner of the room.

“Ah, thanks,” Iwaizumi replied, alittle embarrassed. He trotted over to messy pile and began to pick up his crinkled shirt and jeans. “Again, sorry about all this.”

“Quit apologising. I said it’s cool.”

“Alright.”

Iwaizumi stood up, wincing lightly as he received another sharp, slicing headache.

Behind him, Oikawa huffed in amusement. “Hangovers are a bitch, aren’t they?”

“Oh yeah,” Iwaizumi grumbled. He rummaged in the back pocket of his jeans for his dorm keys. “The worst.”  
He glanced over his shoulder to find the other still watching him. “Hey, I’m gonna.. go now. Give you some peace,” he said awkwardly.

Oikawa grinned lightly. “Alright. Don’t stumble in to the wrong room now.”

Iwaizumi snorted. He supposed this guy wasn’t all that bad. “Thanks.”  
He turned away, tottering his way out with his clothes in his hands.

“Hey, by the way Iwaizumi?”

Iwaizumi didn’t look up, too busy fumbling for his keys. “Hm?”

“You gay or bi?”

He froze. There was a split moment where the room closed down on him. He slowly turned over to the other. “.. Excuse me?”

Oikawa glanced over at him. “You gay or bisexual?” he asked again.

Iwaizumi stared at the other. An unsettling prickling sensation began to form at the back of his neck, heart beginning to pick up speed. “I don’t know what you’re on about.”

Oikawa shrugged in a nonchalant manner. “Yesterday. You kept yammering on about your unrequited crush. And a _dude_ at that.”

Okay, scrap that. Scrap everything he'd just said. A one night stand was far more welcoming than this situation. Iwaizumi swallowed. He glanced away, doing his best to look as calm as possible. “What makes you think it was a guy? I could’ve just been talking about anyone.”

“Oh no, you weren’t. You were definitely talking about a guy,” the other rebutted easily. He picked at his nails casually.

“And how would you know that?”

“Because you mentioned a name.”

Iwaizumi felt his heart sink. This could not be happening. There was no way this was happening. He swallowed thickly. “Yeah?” he said.

Oikawa glanced up, eyes gleaning in an unsettling manner. “Oh yeah,” he replied with a light smile. He dropped his hands to rest on his knee. “Who’s _Issei?_ ”

_Oh god no._

Iwaizumi dropped his gaze to the floor, heart pounding. ‘I.. never heard of him. Probably made it up. I was drunk.”

“Seems awfully specific to form out of a muddled mind, don’t you think?”

“I don’t know,” Iwaizumi replied harshly. He did his best to force the panic out of his voice. “I was _drunk_.”

Oikawa continued to smile, all triumphant and gloating like he had Iwaizumi under his finger. Hell, he did.  
He hummed lightly then reached over to pick up his mobile. He began tapping at rapid speed. “You can go now,” he called.

Iwaizumi blinked, defensive anger forgotten. “Huh?”

“You can go. Shoo. Unless you want to jump back in bed and go another round.” Oikawa glanced up, fingers still tapping to shoot him a flirty grin.

Iwaizumi felt his face flush and he let out a splutter. “What the hell? No!”

“Then go.”

Iwaizumi contemplated whether or not to just drop on to his knees and start begging then and there. He took a hesitant step back, overwhelmed mind not quite able to process it all.

“Hey Iwa-chan.”

Iwaizumi paused. He peered up at the other, an incredulous look painted on his face. “..What did you call me?”

Oikawa smiled lightly. “I won’t tell anyone,” he replied instead. He raised a pinky and waggled it at him. “Just our little secret, yeah?”

Iwaizumi felt himself pale. He didn’t reply. He spun on his heel and immediately stumbled out.


	2. Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another chapter, let's go

Fuck.

It was the single word which came to mind as Iwaizumi paced the floor of his bedroom. He took a deep breath, forcing down a wave of nausea, and raked a hand through his hair.

“Fuck,” he hissed under his breath. “Fuck, fuck, _fuck_.”

He was in trouble.

His plans of quietly getting through college were tossed out the window. All thanks to alcohol, poor judgment and his god damn no mouth-to-brain filter. Iwaizumi dropped his face in to his palms and let out a muffled groan. _Should’ve never gone to that party,_ he mourned. _Should’ve never taken those shots._

He flopped on to his bed, distressed. Just thinking about the situation heated his cheeks, angry and embarrassed by it all. And when Iwaizumi closed his eyes, a single face was vivid in his mind.

Oikawa Tooru.

Who the hell was that guy anyway? Cocky attitude, nosy, with that awful, knowing smirk like he actually had something to be smug about.  
He had him feeling like he’d been caught red-handed, and just thinking about their encounter had him shrivelled in crippling mortification.

 

Iwaizumi rummaged his pocket for his mobile and tapped on Facebook. He didn’t even have to finish typing the first name to find him.

_Oikawa Tooru. Twenty one. Professional Athlete._

According to his profile, he was attending their college through a volleyball scholarship. And clearly the guy wasn’t shy about flaunting it either. Iwaizumi began to scope through for more information.

Turns out his first impression wasn’t too far off. Oikawa Tooru online was as he’d encountered. He was impulsive, unabashed and overly-snarky in his endless stream of status updates. And why was he posting so many pictures of himself? It was narcissism at its finest, embodied in a single entity known as the so-called ‘ _Grand King’_.

Despite Iwaizumi’s distaste, Oikawa seemed to have built quite a foundation here at the Aoba Jousai College - if the 563 friends on Facebook were anything to go by. Iwaizumi chewed on his lower lip as he continued scrolling down the page.

He was also a member of countless clubs and societies; not to mention he was attending pretty much all of the upcoming social projects and events the college had to offer. He even had a personal fan club for Christ sakes. _Was this guy for real?_

Oikawa was tagged in tonnes of photos; each one surrounded with a different group of friends. The photos were filled with likes and adoring girls commenting on his ‘ _photogenic smile’_ and ‘ _hot bod tooru, hmu’-_

Iwaizumi exited the app, feeling sick.

 

And with everything that had happened, it was a wonder Iwaizumi hadn’t notice him any earlier.

He saw the guy just about everywhere: in the dorm corridors, at the cafeteria, training at the gym, dwelling in the common room. Oikawa Tooru was _everywhere._ How often had they passed each other without noticing?

On the odd occasion where their eyes actually met, it was terrifying. Oikawa would pause in his tracks and stare straight at him. His lips would pull back in a devastatingly smug smile, the knowing look in his eyes as he jerked his chin over at him in a mock greet. Iwaizumi was always the first to turn away, cheeks furiously flushed.

Because a guy like Oikawa was nothing but bad news. He was a high class bum; the type of person who came to college to socialise rather than study. But sooner or later he was going to burn out, and getting involved with someone like him would mean jeopardising his college plans.

And so Iwaizumi went out of his way to avoid all unnecessary interaction. He hit the gym earlier, rushed straight back to his dorm from classes, and avoided spending too much time in the common room.  
  
And it worked for a brief period of time, but fate had a way of circling back on a man, and taking him by surprise.

 

✌

 

Iwaizumi strolled back to his dorm, mind numb. He was still recovering from the torturous two-hour lecture. Health and Nutrition was by far his least favourite course and having the world’s most monotonous lecturer didn’t exactly help. He inwardly thanked himself for downing a large coffee before attending the class.  
Iwaizumi stopped at his door, taking a wide yawn. He was more than ready to go recharge with a quick power nap then get started on his major report due in the next few weeks.

He rummaged through his pockets for his keys, but flinched, dropping them at the sudden clasp on his shoulder and a low, husky voice in his ear. _“Iwa-chan.”_

“Fuck-!” Iwaizumi jerked away with a surprised swear. He cupped a hand over his ear, looking harassed. “What the fuck man?” he hissed.

Oikawa grinned at him with lazy eyes. “Nice to meet you too," he greeted coolly, holding out his hand.

Iwaizumi stared at it like it were contaminated. He eventually gave it a reluctant shake. “Yeah.”

“Been a while since I’ve seen your face around. What have you been up to?”

Iwaizumi was in no mood to linger. “Class,” he replied bluntly. He took a step to the side, hoping the other would leave, but no such luck.

“Oh really? I just finished class too.” Oikawa leaned a shoulder against his door, blocking his escape route. He crossed his arms leisurely. “I’m free till four, then I got volleyball practice.”

“Wow, good to know,” Iwaizumi replied dully. His tone was disinterested as ever, a not-so-subtle hint that he didn’t care to indulge in a conversation.

It went unnoticed. “Mm. You play?”

He had, but that was years ago. “No.”

Oikawa let out a soft _ahh._ “Then do you play any other sports? Or is it just the morning gym sessions?”

Iwaizumi opened his mouth to reply, then paused. He shot him a look. “What?”

“I’ve spotted you a few times.” Oikawa flashed a cheeky smile. “Usually at the weights station, sometimes the treadmill.”

“So you’ve been spying on me.”

“Well, you’re not exactly hard to miss. Although…” Oikawa straightened himself, peering down at him with a raised brow. “It almost seems like _you’ve_ been avoiding me.”

Iwaizumi scowled and looked away. “Must be your imagination.”  
He picked up his keys then nudged the other aside. “Look, it was nice meeting you and all, but I’ve got a lot of work to do so if you don’t mind- _oi!_ ”  
Iwaizumi let out a surprised noise as the other barged his way in the moment the door was unlocked.

“Wow, nice place Iwa-chan.” Oikawa looked around, eyes glistening with curiosity. “It’s so much tidier than mine. How do you keep it this clean? I tried to organise my stuff once, but that shit only lasted about three days.”

“What the hell.” Iwaizumi stared in disbelief. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Get out!”

“Is this a Godzilla action figure? That’s cute. I didn’t know people still bought this stuff.”

“I said get out of my room!”

Oikawa regarded him over his shoulder. There was laughter in his eyes. “Oh, come on. Don’t be like that. I spent forever trying to ‘accidentally’ bump in to you. At least give me a tour of the place.”

“This is my room. Tour done, now get out.”

“Ouch, what crawled up your ass? Relax, I’m not going to break anything.”

Iwaizumi fumed but the other didn’t seem to notice. Either that or he simply did not care.

Oikawa inspected the place with deep interest. Spotting the small couch next to Iwaizumi’s working desk, he migrated to make himself at home. “You know, I didn’t pin you as a muso,” he commented as he eyed the cluster of band posters plastered on the left wall.

Iwaizumi didn’t bother humouring the other. “Yeah, well there are a lot of things you don’t know about me.”  
He dropped his bag by the front door and gestured outside. “Now if you don’t mind.”

Oikawa only nestled himself in deeper, draping his arms across the back of the couch. He let out a nonchalant hum. “So, Iwa-chan. About Issei-”

“Don’t,” Iwaizumi interrupted. He pointed, sending him a warning look. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, alright?”

“Oh?” Oikawa flashed him a challenging grin. “You don’t?”

“I don’t.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Oikawa’s expression flattened. “Hm. That’s a shame.” He looked away in feint disinterest. “And here I thought we shared a real bonding moment back then. Especially in the way you barged in to my room at three in the morning, tore your clothes right off-”

Iwaizumi immediately slammed the door shut. _“Will you pipe the fuck down?”_ he hissed, looking harassed. “What if someone heard?”

“So what? Don’t tell me you’re a closet gay.”

“I’m not! I just don’t flaunt it around like some over-dramatic-”

“Is the guy Matsukawa Issei?”

The question threw him off and he flinched at the accuracy of it. 

Oikawa eyes glistened at the acknowledgement. The corners of his mouth began to curl in to that smirk Iwaizumi absolutely dreaded and detested.  
He leaned back in to the couch and gave a shrug. “What? Did I hit the bullseye?”

His mother always did tell him he was a poor liar and now he was starting to despise himself for it.  
"What does it fucking matter?” Iwaizumi defended, tone clipped. “It’s none of your damn business.”

This only seemed to amuse Oikawa for his smile deepened. He pursed his lips in mock contemplation as he scratched his cheek. “Well, I suppose it would be _a little_ of my business..”  
His lazy eyes flickered over to meet his. “Considering Mattsun is _my_ best friend.”

Iwaizumi stared at him for a long time. “Liar,” he said.

“Not lying.”

“You are.”

“I’m n-”

“No, you are,” he shot back, this time with less conviction. He could feel the panic steadily rising in his tone. “Of all people here, there’s just no fucking way. You’re friends with everyone.. that shit doesn’t count.”

“Yeah?” Oikawa perked up, a teasing grin on his face. “Does that mean we’re friends too?”

 _This guy’s a fucking nightmare._ Iwaizumi dragged a hand over his face and let out a weary sigh. “Listen, I don’t remember what happened that night, I swear. I was drunk. But whatever I did, I’m sorry.”

He received a visibly dull reaction. “What you on about? I told you already, nothing happened.”

Iwaizumi peeped through his fingers. ”If it was nothing then why are you so interested in me?”

Oikawa blinked owlishly. “Why?” He paused in thought, then gave a shrug. “Because I’m gay,” he remarked casually.

Iwaziumi paused. He lowered his hand. He could not have looked any more repulsed. “I’m not interested in you.”

The other scrunched his nose at his comment. “Never said I was either? Trust me dude, you’re not my type.”  
He burst in to a cheeky, pearly grin. “Look, I’m not trying to stir shit up or anything. I’m just curious, what type of person you are.”

“Oh.” Iwaizumi relaxed for a moment before his eyes sharpened with suspicion. “And what are you going to do once you figure it out?”

“Nothing? But now I’m starting to suspect. You seem like you’re hiding something.”  
Oikawa leaned in and squinted dramatically. “Perhaps you’re not really a student at this college. Maybe you’re secretly an undercover agent who is here working on some conspiratorial job. You know, like some real Jump Street sort of shit.”

Iwaizumi stared at him for a long time. “You’re so fucking weird.”

“Yeah.” Oikawa stretched languidly back on the couch. “I get that a lot.  
“Look, I’m just curious. Honestly. It isn’t often a good looking stranger ends up in your bed profusely confessing their crush for your best friend.”

Iwaizumi’s cheeks flushed furiously. “Can we stop talking about that already?”  
He dropped his head and held out his hands. “Listen, this was all my mistake. I admit it. I’m sorry. But I’m asking you seriously to forget about it. This is the last thing I want going on right now-“

"I can help you out, you know."

Iwaizumi paused. He peered at the other. “What?”

Oikawa didn’t say anything. He wiggled his brows suggestively.

Iwaizumi’s expression deadpanned. “No.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t even know you.”

“Well, we all start somewhere, don’t we?”  
Oikawa pressed in. “You know, Mattsun and I know each other from way back. He and I went to the same high school.” His eyed were wide, insistent. “I know him like the back of my hand. I can be your wingman.”

“I don’t need a wingman.”

“Oh come on, Iwa-chan! I’m grasping at straws here! Let me help, at least for the sake of my Mattsun!”

Iwaizumi shook his head. “I doubt Matsukawa cares for you butting in to his personal life either.”

Oikawa sat back with an exasperated huff. “Oh please, I’m doing him a favour.”  
He sent Iwaizumi a look of mock-concern. “You don’t understand. Mattsun is a great guy, he really is. But he’s just so _shitty_ when it comes to relationships. The last three dudes he dated were full of shit and two of them cheated on him.”  
He let out an exasperated sigh. “Without Oikawa here to help him out, he’s going to end up all weathered, old and alone. Do you want that to happen to our poor Mattsun?”

Iwaizumi frowned at the question. “It’s his choice who he dates.”

“So you _do_ want Mattsun to end up old and alone? That’s terrible.”

“This is coming from the person who barged in to stranger’s room and interrogated them.”

Oikawa gave a dismissive wave. “Interrogate is such a strong word. I prefer the term bonding.”

Iwaizumi was so baffled by his comment, he snorted. “You’re ridiculous.”                               

Oikawa lit up at his reaction. “Well, congratulations Iwa-chan.” he grinned. “You just passed the first test.”

“And what is that?”

He flashed a cheeky look. “You get along with his best friend. Now with the Oikawa tick of approval, you’re one step closing to score with my bro.”

Iwaizumi’s expression wiped in an instant. “I don’t need your help,” he repeated.

"You don’t have to accept my help. Just keep an open mind to it.” Oikawa closed his eyes, resting his head back against the sofa. “Come on, just say yes. I ain’t leaving until you do.”

God, this guy really was stubborn. Iwaizumi crossed his arms, contemplating.  
He could simply ignore him - just ignore him wholly until he leaves. But judging by the looks of things, he was going to be in for a long fight.

He glanced over at his front door then back at the other. Well… He supposed it wouldn’t hurt to get in on his terms. It wasn’t like he had much to lose to begin with. He weighed out his options for another good minute before heaving a sigh. “So if I say yes, you will leave?” he asked in defeat.

“Anything for the man.” Oikawa jumped upright and held out his hand. “See, that wasn't so hard, now was it?”

Iwaizumi eyed the outstretched hand. “I still don’t trust you,” he said, despite accepting it anyway. “Now get out.”

“Okay, okay. Jesus you’re not cute at all.” Oikawa allowed himself to get manoeuvred out the door. He peered over his shoulder at Iwaizumi with a cool grin. “I’ll catch you later, yeah?”

Iwaizumi shut the door on his face with a sinking feeling that he’d made the sign with the devil.

 

And _god,_ were his intuitions right.  
He very quickly came to regret his decision wholeheartedly, upon soon discovering he had acquainted a six-footed social parasite.

 

Oikawa was _everywhere_. He waited outside his lecture rooms, chased him down at the gym, snuck in to his dorm room when given the chance. He had absolute zero sense of privacy. One incident Oikawa had even gone so far as to track him in the public bathrooms on campus. Iwaizumi had never screamed so loud when he saw the other’s face pop up from over the cubicle wall as he gave him a wave.

Iwaizumi didn’t know how he did it. He suspected the other had microchipped him when he was asleep, but regardless, it was inevitable. Escape was futile.

It wasn’t the first time he’d woken up in cold sweat from nightmares of that all too familiar voice calling his name.

 

✌

 

It was a late noon.

Iwaizumi sat at his desk, laptop in front with its battery humming away loudly to itself. His screen reflected a half-finished essay and he fought back a sigh. It was a difficult topic, and the lack of available resources made things worse. He could already feel a headache coming along from staring at the screen for too long but he wanted to get the assessment done and out of the way.

“Ugh, damn it. This level is such a pain.”

Iwaizumi froze, fingers hovering over his keyboard. He slowly turned to find Oikawa standing at his door, frowning down at his mobile. He was clad in his volleyball uniform though missing his shoes. Iwaizumi stared at his bare feet before he peered up. “Are you serious?” he asked.

“Hm?” Oikawa glanced over at him.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Uhh.. nothing?” Oikawa answered like it was the most obvious thing. Before Iwaizumi could respond, the phone let out an unhappy bleep and he let out a frustrated growl. “Ugh- whatever. Fuck this game, it’s rigged.”  
He closed the door behind him, and flopped down on Iwaizumi’s armchair. He exited the app and instead began browsing through Facebook.

Iwaizumi stared at him. “Can you stop barging in to my room?”

“If you don’t like it then lock the door,” Oikawa bantered back easily, eyes still glued on the screen. He looked bored. “My place is too cramped. Let me recharge here then I’ll go.”

“Go to the lounge room.”

“Too noisy. And the girls never leave me alone.”

Iwaizumi’s expression soured. “Not my problem.”

“Shh, I’ll only be here 20 minutes max.” Oikawa snuggled himself deeper in to his seat. “I won’t distract you, promise. Just go back to what you were doing.”

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes then begrudgingly returned to his laptop. “Fine.”

He forced his attention back to his interrupted sentence. He couldn’t remember what he was meant to write. Iwaizumi exhaled through his nose and he strained to reconnect his thought process. _The amygdala is a fundamental component of the brain in which it contributes to-_

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft snort. Iwaizumi snuck a glance to the side.

Oikawa had a hand curled over his mouth which couldn’t quite completely hide the smile underneath. He was clearly amused by something he’d read on his phone.

Iwaizumi forced his eyes back to his laptop. He tried to switch his mind back to the essay in front of him.

There was another light snort to his right and he stubbornly ignored it.

It was after the third chortle Iwaizumi let out a heaving sigh and glared at him. “I swear to god, one more noise and I’m kicking you out.”

Oikawa didn’t even look up. He began to type intently. “Sorry, Bo sent me something funny on Snapchat.”

Iwaizumi scrunched his nose. “Snapchat?”

“Yeah, I’d show you but it’s not on his story.”

“Hm.” He returned to his laptop, pausing, then asked, “what’s snapchat?”

The other stopped. He looked up at him blankly. “Are you serious?” Oikawa asked.

“… What?”

“How do you not know Snapchat? Did you grow up under a rock?”

Iwaizumi ruffled up at the question. “I grew up in the country,” he said defensively.

“That explains a lot.” Oikawa turned his phone toward him. “It’s an app where you can send photos and short videos to your friends. Kinda like a messaging app. There’s also a set timer so whatever you send disappears after a few seconds.”

Iwaizumi frowned. “Disappears? Where does it go?”

“I don’t know? It just automatically deletes.”

“Then what’s the whole point of it?”

“It’s more fun that way.” Oikawa pointed at the screen. “These are photos and videos I’ve received but haven’t checked. You tap on one and you can see what it is.”  
Just to show, he tapped the screen and Iwaizumi stared at an aesthetic picture of a clear sky. He leaned in to get a better look but it disappeared.

“I don’t get it,” he said honestly. “Still seems kinda pointless.”

“Yeah. But it’s fun.” Oikawa scrolled through his phone, then his expression lit up immediately. “Ooh, Mattsun sent me something!”

Iwaizumi’s back straightened in an instant. Oikawa glanced over at him all coy and knowing. “Want to see?” he asked.

Iwaizumi could feel his cheeks warm and he inwardly cursed himself for it. He furrowed his brows deeply.

Oikawa’s smile widened, showing teeth. “Why you looking at me like that?” he asked, knowing fullwell why. He shifted aside on the sofa and pat it. “Come here.”

He glanced at his laptop, contemplating, then back. Somewhat hesitant, Iwaizumi got up from his seat and they squeezed on the couch which was far too small for the both of them. He peered down at the screen as Oikawa tapped the contact _‘memettsun’_.

The picture was nothing interesting in particular. It looked like a blurred picture of what Iwaizumi presumed was a close-up of a table top. There was a message typed across which read ‘ _bored af. u coming to the lecture??’_

“Oh, I didn’t check this earlier,” Oikawa said and he tapped the phone screen. “He sent more though. Mattsun always sends fifty at a time.”

Iwaizumi didn’t reply, peering down at the screen in light curiosity. Most of the pictures were blurred photos with no particular theme. It was almost like Matsukawa sent them with impatient haste.

“Is he normally like this?” Iwaizumi asked after reading a third pun joke from his snaps.

Oikawa snorted. “Sadly. But it’s sort of cute, wouldn’t you say?”

“I’m not going to answer that,” Iwaizumi shot back curtly. He peered down at the phone screen just in time to see the last snap sent by the other. It caught him completely off-guard and he let out a startled choke.

Matsukawa was standing in what had to be one of the college bathrooms, his photo taken standing in front of a full body mirror. The hem of his shirt was lightly pulled up to reveal an impressive six-pack on a rock hard stomach. He had his tongue stuck out on the side of his mouth in a cheeky grin. The message _‘u mad bro?’_ was scrawled across the screen and Iwaizumi felt his face burn uncontrollably at the sight.

“Cocky-ass piece of shit,” Oikawa said, smiling. He quickly took a blurry picture of the ground, typed a rude comment back and sent it to the other. “Hardly anything to brag about.”

Iwaizumi looked away, far too stunned to speak.

“Oh shit, I got an idea.” Oikawa said from the left and suddenly his arm was wrapped over Iwaizumi’s shoulder as he yanked him in close. “Iwa-chan, look here.”

Iwaizumi blinked up at himself on the phone screen and before he could say no, Oikawa took the picture. “Okay, sweet.” He typed a quick message then immediately sent it off.

“What did you do?” Iwaizumi grabbed at the phone as Oikawa instinctively pulled it out of his grasp. “Who did you send that to? Delete it!”

“Too late, it’s already been sent.” Oikawa held his phone up again and Iwaizumi found himself this time sporting a pair of dog ears and a nose. 

“What-” Iwaizumi jerked his head to the left, only to have the ears and nose follow. “What the fuck?” Iwaizumi said, startled, and a tongue flipped out of his mouth.

Oikawa burst out in laughter and leaned in to the shot, his face also filtered as a Dalmatian. He grinned in to the camera and raised his hand in a peace sign as he took the picture. “This is definitely going on my story.”

“Don’t!”

“You don’t even know what a snap story is!”

“I don’t care. Don’t put it-” Iwaizumi paused, when he noticed a notification pop up from Oikawa’s phone.

“That was a fast.” Oikawa slid a finger down the screen and the screen refreshed with a response from ‘ _memettsun’._

There was another blurred picture and the caption ‘ _who’s that? he’s cute’._

Iwaizumi stared at the screen until the picture expired. Oikawa snorted as he tapped through. “He totally ignored my first snap. Guess that’s a good sign for you then, huh?”

Iwaizumi felt a warmth creeping in and he looked away. “I’m.. not going to answer that.”

Oikawa laughed aloud – he always enjoyed seeing him flustered; it was like some sort of game, seeing how far he could push him. Taking full advantage of it, he slid his arm around as he scooted in closer. His eyes suddenly grew flirty and he peered up at him through his lashes. “You know, Mattsun’s right. I’d be lying if I said you weren’t attractive.”

Iwaizumi felt himself flush again, but this time with irritation. He pushed Oikawa’s face away and returned to his desk. “That’s nice but looks aren’t going to help me pass my biochemistry class so let me finish my assessment in peace.”

Oikawa smiled. “But my twenty minutes isn’t up yet.”

Iwaizumi saved the document on his laptop then looked back at him, silently waiting.

Oikawa rolled his eyes. “Fine, _fine_. God, I don’t know how you do it, cooped up in this tiny place studying all day.”

“I like to submit my assessments in a few days early.”

“Wow. I don’t know whether to feel envious or sad for you.” He got up and stretched. “You free this Friday?” he suddenly asked.

Iwaizumi shook his head. “I’m busy with classes.”

“Ugh, no.” The other rolled his eyes. “I meant the evening, dude. I know a good bar down in lower campus.”

Iwaizumi blinked once. He couldn’t tell what the other was getting at. “Okay,” he said slowly. “And?”

“Let’s go for a drink.” Oikawa tipped his chin at him. “You and me.”

“… No.”

“Why not?”

Iwaizumi gestured to his laptop. “I have work to do.”

“On a Friday night? Fuck that.” Oikawa waved his hand in a theatrical gesture. “You’re meant to take breaks in between, you know.”

“I'll take a break after I finish this.”

“What if I bring Mattsun with me? Would you come then?”

Iwaizumi glanced up at that. Oikawa watched him, trying to read him. His eyes carried an intense look behind them as he stared with hawk-life precision. Christ, it was unnerving.

Iwaizumi cleared his throat. “I’ll… consider it.”

Oikawa lit up in an instant, warm smile slid back in to place. “Too easy. I’ll message him. We can figure out a time later but I’m thinking around eight?”

“I didn’t say it was definite.”

“I’ll meet you here at eight, look sharp.” Oikawa jumped up from his seat. “Well, I’ll leave you to it then.”

He stood from the couch, gave a quick stretch then reached over and jabbed him lightly on the chest. “See, you can act all hard-to-get, but that shit doesn’t work on me. I can tell you’re a big softie on the inside.”

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. He pushed Oikawa, manoeuvring him out the door. “I’m only tolerating you because of our deal.”

“No you're not,” the other singsonged. “Just admit it, you can’t resist me Iwa-chan.”  
He playfully ruffled Iwaizumi’s hair then tucked his mobile in his back pocket. “Catch you later.”

Oikawa was about to let himself out, but stopped. He turned around and pointed. “Oh, and download Snapchat and add me.”

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “It’s a pointless app.”

“It is. But it’s fun with when you use it with others.” Oikawa turned back and left with a wave. “See ya.”

The moment the door click shut, Iwaizumi was greeted with complete silence. He sat and stared at the door, almost expecting Oikawa to pop back in but he never did. Iwaizumi turned back and let out a sigh. “Right.”

He stared at his screen, rereading the sentence. His fingers hovered over the keyboard before he hesitated. Iwaizumi pulled out his phone and downloaded the app.

 

✌

 

 

Friday arrived much sooner than he had anticipated.

Iwaizumi came back from class, squeezed in a quick gym session before hitting the shower. Twenty minutes later he stepped out of his steam-filled shower, towelled his hair off roughly before he gave himself a look in the mirror.

Prior coming to college, he never paid much particular attention to his appearance. Sure, he made an effort to keep fit and in shape, but nothing much further.

He stared at his choppy hair which stuck out in all directions with a frown. Oikawa _did_ say to look sharp tonight. Whatever the hell he meant by that.

He wondered what Matsukawa was going to wear. A simple tee and jeans? A casual button up? It didn't matter - his lean build and long legs meant that he would look good in whatever he wore.  
Iwaizumi was hit by a sudden flutter of nerves and he watched his reflection grimace in embarrassment. “Get a damn grip Hajime,” Iwaizumi muttered under his breath.

Well, there was still time to kill. He let out a soft sigh and opened the mirrored medicine cabinet to retrieve a small jar of old hair gel.

 

 

Iwaizumi was tucking his wallet in his backpocket when there was a loud knock at the door. He waited a good few seconds before answering it. Oikawa stood at front with his arms crossed, an unamused expression on his face. “Dude, what took you so long?”

“You said eight.” Iwaizumi shut and locked the door behind him. “I still got two minutes.”

The two began to make their way down the corridor. There were muffled sounds of music and chatter coming from the shared living space of their floor. Iwaizumi glanced in as they passed to find a large crowd of college students chatting and sharing a drink. _Seems like everyone’s out on Friday,_ he thought as he peeled his eyes from the sight and looked ahead.

“So, where’s Matsukawa?” Iwaizumi asked lightly. He rubbed the back of his neck. “He going to meet us somewhere?”

Beside him, Oikawa made a disapproving noise. “Hmm, tone it down a little Iwa-chan. No one likes a desperate dater.”

Iwaizumi erupted in a hot flush. “I’m not desperate, I’m just asking!” he defended, sheepish.

“Ahuh, sure.”

Iwaizumi glared at him but the other paid no mind. Oikawa looked considerably relaxed tonight, eyes lazy but confident. His mouth was curled upward in a faint smile as he hummed quietly under his breath. Iwaizumi’s eyes drifted down, taking in the dark, navy button up and a pair of camel-coloured chino pants. The trousers were alarmingly tight, not leaving much to the imagination.

“Eyes up here buddy.”

Iwaizumi glanced up to find Oikawa watching him. The other raised a brow.

Iwaizumi felt his face flush a deeper crimson and he let out a cough. “Sorry.”  
He forced his eyes ahead. “So, where are we going?”

“One of my favourite places to go on campus.” Oikawa lit up at the mention. He sent him a secretive smile. “You’re going to love it.”

Judging by the coy, knowing expression, Iwaizumi could feel himself regretting it already.

 

 

 

The heavy beat filtered through the doorway of the bar to his front. The song increased in volume as someone opened the door to the bar, the sound becoming once again more subdued as the door closed. Iwaizumi peered up at the bright orange neon sign welcoming him to ‘ **KARASUNO BAR** ’.

“Come on, let’s go in.” Oikawa ushered him in to the bar and he stumbled his way in.

It was a rustic bar, the inner walls and stools all wooden. There were a few booths situated to his right, already full of college students here for a drink. A few occasional heads peered their direction, eyes lingering over Iwaizumi and Oikawa before they resumed their conversations.

“Let’s grab a drink. I’ll shout the first round,” Oikawa offered, already making a beeline toward the open bar. Iwaizumi trailed the other as he openly scanned the place. So far no Matsukawa. As they passed a full booth, he heard a distinct _“hey there, hot shot.”_

Iwaizumi frowned at the comment. He looked around hesitantly then spoke in a lowered voice, “Oikawa, do you know the group behind us?”

“Hm?” Oikawa peered behind him, then turned back. He burst in to a fit of snickering laughter.

Iwaizumi glanced over at him. “What? What’s so funny?”

“God, Iwa-chan. Sometimes you can be so dense it’s hilarious.” Oikawa’s shoulders trembled lightly as he tried to stifle his laugh. “You’re so cute.”

Iwaizumi frowned at the comment but before he could reply, Oikawa leaned in close, shoulders pressed together. He peered up at him, eyes dancing in the dim lights, glistening almost. “So?” he prompted. “What do you think of the place?”

Iwaizumi shifted in his seat. “I guess it’s okay,” he replied. The people at the bar were still staring at them and he pointedly avoided the eye contact. “It seems alittle hostile though.”

Oikawa’s mouth was curled in a coy smile. “I wouldn’t say hostile is the right word.”

He glanced over with furrowed brows. “What do you mean?”

“Iwa-chan, take a look around you.” Oikawa was already hailing the bartender over ordering two drinks. “What do you see here?”  
He smiled over his shoulder at him. “Come on, you’re smart. Take a guess.”

Still confused, Iwaizumi peered over his shoulder and scoped the area.

It took a moment for his mind to register, and when it had, he wondered how he'd missed it earlier. The way the guys at the pool table made flirty remarks and leaned in a little too closely, the way the two ladies in the corner sat close stroking thumbs, and most certainly the way the men at the bar were eyeing him up and down.  
Iwaizumi swallowed thickly. “You brought me to.. a gay bar..?” he asked lowly.

“It’s a good bar,” Oikawa insisted. “Staff here are cute too,” he added, sending a flirty smile to the bartender. He let out a playful chuckle when the other returned the gesture with a wink.

Iwaizumi was stumped. He was beginning to have a bad feeling about this. “When’s Matsukawa coming?” he asked.

Oikawa didn’t seem to hear. He tipped his head back as he finished his drink then wiped his mouth.

“Oi.” Iwaizumi nudged him roughly. “I said, when is Matsukawa com-”

“You know what, that guy over there has been trying to grab a stare at your ass the moment we walked in.” Oikawa pressed a drink in his hands and pointed at a guy watching them over his drink.

Iwaizumi blinked, bewildered. He let out a startled noise when a light hand pushed from behind.

“Well? What do you think?” Oikawa asked quietly. His breath tickled his ear. “Should we go talk to him?”

“What? No!” Iwaizumi hissed. He dug his heel in to the ground, pushing back on Oikawa’s palm. “Hell no! I’m not interested!”

He could practically hear Oikawa rolling his eyes. “I’m not saying you to get with him. I’m just asking if you wanted to go talk.”

“I said no.”

“Dude, what, you taken a chastity vow or something? Just go talk to him. It’s not a big deal.”

“I said I don’t want to.”

Oikawa let out an impatient sigh. “Oh, come on. We only just got here. Don’t cause a scene.”

Iwaizumi spun around, furious. He took a big step in, catching Oikawa off-guard as he shoved his face right in to his. “I said I’m not fucking interested,” he repeated in a low voice. His eyes sharpened, glistened under the dark lights. “I didn’t waste my Friday night to come here and talk to some drunk stranger at the bar. I’m not here for that shit.”  
He shoved his drink in Oikawa’s hand, some of it sloshing over and getting on his shirt. “I’m done here. You enjoy yourself.”

Iwaizumi turned and left before the other could say a word.

Oikawa stared, mouth ajar. He dropped his gaze at the drinks in his hands then back up. He let out a sigh. “Oh, fuck it,” he muttered and quickly downed the two drinks.

 

 

Iwaizumi stormed his way to his dorm, fuming as he went. He fumed at the fact that he had to push his way through the crowds, people staring as he left the bar. He fumed at the way Oikawa had played him tonight, like it were all some game. But above all, he fumed at how despite knowing better, he had started to care.

Iwaizumi ran a hand through his hair, grimacing at the oily feel of hair gel. He felt like a god damn idiot.

“Hey! Iwa-chan!” Heavy thuds of footsteps grew from behind. “Iwa-chan, are you mad at me?”

Iwaizumi ignored his question, fastening his pace.

“Wait, wait! Just stop for a second.”

Iwaizumi faltered, then turned to glare over his shoulder. Oikawa caught up to him, dishevelled and lightly breathless. “Iwa-”

“Matsukawa wasn’t going to come tonight, was he?” Iwaizumi demanded.

The other paused. He opened his mouth then closed it. “Wait!” he called when Iwaizumi turned away.

“Piss off.”

“Oh come on, don’t be like that.” Oikawa shot him a fed up look. “I wasn’t trying to be mean or anything.”

“That’s not how I took it.”

“Okay, okay, wait.” Oikawa held him back by his arm. “Look, I did ask Mattsun and he said he would come but he bailed last minute. I thought it would be cool if it was just us two.”

“Then why didn’t you just tell me from the start?”

“I thought you wouldn’t come out then!” Oikawa etched his brows apologetically. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to hang out with you more.”

Iwaizumi refused to look at him, glaring ahead. “Well you sure as hell have a strange way of expressing it.”

“I said I’m sorry!”

Iwaizumi refrained from rolling his eyes. In his peripheral vision, he could see the pitiful puppy looks Oikawa was shooting him. He was still pissed off as hell and a part of him wanted to sock the other square in the face then leave.

Instead, Iwaizumi dropped his head back, and he relented with a sigh. “You promised. You promised you'd introduce me to Matsukawa. I didn’t think it was below you to pull crazy stunts, but that was too far.”

“I know." Oikawa gave him an earnest look. "Next time, I swear. _Genuine_ promise."

This time Iwaizumi picked up on the regret underpinning the words. He sent him a weary look from the corner of his eyes. “... Fine.” He took a step but was pulled back.

“Hey, where you going?”

“Back to my room?”

“What- but it’s only eight!”

“..And?”

A look of indignation crossed Oikawa’s face. He grabbed Iwaizumi by the arm, dragging him alongside. He jerked his chin down the corridor. “You’re coming with me.”

Iwaizumi stared. “What?”

“We've got one last pit stop before you call it a night”

Iwaizumi’s eyes scrunched to a squint and he tried to pull his arm back. “No.”

“God sakes, quit moping! I said I was sorry! Besides, it’s not far from your place if you ever happen to change your mind.”

Iwaizumi let out a sigh, eyes raised to the ceiling. He was now seriously questioning whether Oikawa’s apology earlier was all an act. “Are you at least going to tell me where we’re going? It better not be another gay bar.”

“It’s not, but it _does_ have the best bar.”

“Are you serious?”

“You in or not?”

“It’s not like I have a choice, do I?”

“Finally we’re on the same page!” He clasped Iwaizumi by the shoulder and gave an encouraging slap as he led him down the corridor, practically dragging him the whole way.

 

 

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Is this a joke?”

Oikawa didn’t even glance up. “What? I wasn’t lying about the best bar thing. It’s all free pour here.”

Oikawa’s dorm was as messy as ever. Iwaizumi eyed the place as he stepped over a crumpled pile which was Oikawa’s most-likely-unwashed volleyball uniform. “You ever get sick of living in a pigsty?”

“Filth helps build immunity.” Oikawa opened his mini fridge and tossed him a can. “Here.”

Iwaizumi caught it in one go and peered down at him. “Really?” He raised an unamused brow. “You do realise alcohol in the dorm rooms is prohibited, right?”

“I gotta stash up for emergencies like these,” Oikawa explained. “Also, FYI, my bar doesn’t kick out deadbeat drunks like other places. You’re more than welcome to come crash my bed tonight. Déjà vu all over again, eh?”

Iwaizumi sent him a dull glare. “I’m going to need something stronger than this pisswater to tolerate you.”

“I got half a bottle of Jack if you prefer that.”

Iwaizumi snorted and tossed the can back to him. “Now we’re talking.”

He caught the bottle and unscrewed the cap. The strong scent of bourbon filled his nose and he almost gagged from the overpowering smell. Iwaizumi tipped his head back and took a deep swig. The burning sensation dragged down his throat, creating warmth in his belly. Het let out a soft hiss, grimacing.

“Here, pass it over.” Oikawa took the bottle from him and took an even larger gulp. He let out a sharp _tsss,_ and shook his head madly. He sat down on the floor and took another sip.

Iwaizumi glanced around to find a spot to sit – the sofa was covered with unwashed clothes, a small stack of dirty dishes and scattered papers. He grimaced at the sight.

“What are you doing? Come over here.”

He glanced over to find Oikawa patting the ground beside him. He was chugging the bottle like it was water.

“Jesus Christ, slow the fuck down.” Iwaizumi snatched the bottle from his lips, spilling some on the floor. “You trying to drown yourself?”

Oikawa gave a light giggle. He peered up with a cheeky smile. “No, mum.”  
He snatched the other by the arm and dragged him down. “Quit standing over me, you’re making me nervous.”

Iwaizumi landed with a heavy grunt, colliding roughly against Oikawa’s leg.  
The other gave a content sigh, wrapping his long arms around him like an octopus.

Iwaizumi stared. "Do you mind?"

"I can't help it." Oikawa gave a little squeeze. "I'm a snuggler."

"Go snuggle that pizza box next to you instead."

Oikawa relented, casting him an unimpressed look. "You're really not cute at all."

"Never said I was," Iwaizumi easily shot back as he took a swig.

"Well, that's no good. How do you expect Mattsun to fall for you if you're so hard arse all the time."

"If he doesn't like me for who I am, then that's it, isn't it?"

Oikawa stared at him in awe. "Wow, talk about Mr. Refreshing. I retrieve my insult."

Iwaizumi eyed him from over his bottle. "I know why you’re doing this," he said.

Oikawa send him a questioning look. “Doing what?”

“This -” He gestured between them, “so-called bonding thing.”

Oikawa stretched back, languid. "Do I have to have a reason?"

"It's because of Mattsun, I know."

He sat up, haughty. "You know, you're awfully pessimistic. Why do you assume that our friendship is only revolved around Mattsun?"

"Because it is."

The other opened his mouth to retort, then closed it. The two fell in to dragged silence.

Eventually, Oikawa took the bottle from him. He took a sip, face scrunching lightly. “You know, there’s always something I’ve been meaning to ask.”

“Shoot.”

“Why Mattsun?” Oikawa frowned at the wall in front of them. “Like, seriously. He’s got a terrible sense of humour, always shows up late to any event, and half the time he’s either talking memes or nonsense. Hell, even his brows are weird.”

Iwaizumi snorted. He took the bottle from him and took another gulp. “Aren’t you meant to be his best friend?”

“I am, which is why I’m allowed to say shit about him.”

“Hm. I never really noticed his brows.” Iwaizumi took another a sip and contemplated. After a while he shrugged. “I don’t know, I guess he just seems like a cool guy.”

Oikawa snorted. “Cool guy? Thank Christ he’s not here to hear that or he’d never let it go.”

Iwaizumi let out a low hum. He drew his legs in and rested his head on his knees. “We met in my second year here. I spent most of the first alone.” He took another sip then wiped his mouth. “You know, people here aren’t like the people at home. I’ve been here for two years and I still feel like an outsider.

"I met Matsukawa a few months back. We only talked briefly, but I remember it clearly. I was lost in upper campus and had to ask for directions to the main block."  
Iwaizumi smiled at the memory. "He said I talked funny, but I knew it was with good intention. It’s hard to explain how or why but it was just an instant connection.”  
His cheeks warmed. “And everything else.. sort of came naturally after.

“Maybe I'm just lonely.. but he was the first person who treated me like I wasn’t so different.”  
Iwaizumi’s gaze grew distant for a brief moment, then he sat up and gave a sheepish laugh. “Ah, shit that sounded so pathetic just now. I think the bourbon just hit. Sorry.”

Oikawa straightened himself. He turned, peering straight in his eyes. “You’re not pathetic,” he said softly.

Iwaizumi stared. He didn’t know what to say. He simply gave a light shrug and looked away. The alcohol was definitely kicking him, his vision growing slightly hazy around the edges. His head felt thick and all he want to do was lie down.

“Hey.”

Iwaizumi cast a glance. “Hm?”

Oikawa didn’t look at him, gaze focused down at the bottle nursed between his hands – they’d almost finished the bottle. “I fucked up tonight,” he replied. “That was a dick move of me. Sorry.”  
When he peered up, his face was as inscrutable as ever, but for an instant Iwaizumi thought he saw some emotion stir in his eyed. “Thanks for hanging out with me tonight,” Oikawa said.

Iwaizumi blinked at the oddity of his comment. “It wasn’t like I had anything else to do anyway,” he replied gruffly. “Besides, you have tonnes of friends. You could just gone and crashed with whoever you wanted.”

Oikawa didn’t say anything for a while, then let out a non-committed hum. “Maybe.”

Iwaizumi stared at his profile. Oikawa’s cheeks were dusted a gentle pink from the alcohol. “Well, I had fun,” he replied.

Oikawa’s head snapped over toward him. He looked slightly taken back. Iwaizumi could feel his own face warm up but he kept neutral. He shrugged with one shoulder. “Maybe,” he mimicked.  
He licked his lower lip, catching the remnant taste of bourbon.

Oikawa’s eyes flickered down, catching the movement.  
“Hey, I’m going to hit the gym tomorrow at eight,” he suddenly said. He glanced up to meet his eyes, smiling. “Wanna join me?”

Iwaizumi raised a brow. “And why would I do that?”

“Why?” Oikawa leaned over to nudge him with his shoulder. “Because we’re friends, duh.”

 _Friends._ It struck him harder than he thought.  
As much as he hated to admit, Oikawa Tooru certainly made it hard to hate him completely. Perhaps it was his long isolation which took a toll on him, but it was nice to finally have someone to talk to.

Iwaizumi allowed his stare to linger a second before he took another sip from the bottle. He blamed the alcohol for the sudden warmth which filled his insides.

_Friends._

“Alright.” he nodded. “Meet you outside.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> had to split this chapter, so the next will be out very shortly!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading
> 
> tumblr: leurauxe.tumblr.com


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